The postal system
Competition and privatization in postal services
Opportunities in postal financial services
The current state of postal financial services in various countries
Key product and market development strategies adopted by postal operators across countries

Summary

Globally, postal services play a key role in providing access to basic communication and transaction services. The worldwide postal infrastructure has been shrinking for over two decades, in terms of both outlets and numbers of full-time staff. At the end of 2011, the total number of post offices stood at 662,701, of which 439,376 were staffed by officials of the designated operator and 223,325 were managed by people from outside the designated operator.

The traditional letter post service is under pressure from new technology, including the internet and (increasingly mobile) telephone services. Rising numbers of consumers and businesses are sending and receiving bills and invoices via the internet and making payments online or by telephone, instead of using post office service. Capitalizing on its large network, easy accessibility and trust among customers, postal operators across the globe are targeting unbanked and rural populations, SMEs, self-employed professionals, young consumers and senior citizens with financial products such as savings accounts, insurance, pension payment services, remittances services, loans and wealth management products. The financial services sector represents a significant opportunity for much-needed additional revenue for postal operators, either directly or through alliances with financial institutions.

Many postal operators are also being urged to offer basic financial services such as payments, savings and microfinance to combat social and financial exclusion, particularly in poorer countries, or to better serve more remote geographical areas and isolated social groups. There is a significant potential for partnerships between postal operators and financial institutions, even in markets where postal operators and postal banks already offer a range of financial services. Alliances such as these could produce major financial rewards and deliver social dividends. For instance major banks in the UK such as Bank of Ireland, Barclays, Halifax, HSBC and Lloyds have formed partnerships with the UK Post Office to offer financial services.

Scope

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of postal financial services provided by postal operators across the globe

It provides detail on the current and future prospects of the postal financial services industry
It details the different infrastructural, consumer and business drivers affecting the postal financial services industry in various countries across the world
It outlines how market liberalization is impacting the postal operator business
It details the marketing strategies used by various postal operators across the globe
It profiles the major postal operators across the globe

Make a post office financial partnership work for you
Utilize the ubiquity of post offices
Learn best practice and read case studies
Find out how to appeal to the unbanked
Gain insight into the key product and market development strategies adopted by postal operators across different countries

Key Highlights

The post office is one of the largest, most widespread and trusted retail networks, with around 670,000 outlets worldwide.

The traditional letter post service is under pressure from new technology, including the internet and (increasingly mobile) telephone services.

With the decline in traditional mail volumes and postal operators scaling down their branch networks and workforces, market liberalization is gathering pace. Many governments favor increased competition in the postal sector, signaling the end of many postal monopolies.

Postal banks are looking to diversify their product and customer portfolios, and are offering wealth management services as well as traditional financial services such as savings accounts, insurance and deposits to strengthen their positions in urban markets and attract wealthy customers.

Comprehensive assessment of non-life underwriting market dynamics
Analysis of the effect of changes in regulations on underwriting
Analysis of the underwriting cycles
Detailed analysis of the technological trends impacting underwriting
Detailed analysis of the effect of natural and man-made disasters on underwriting

The convenience offered by credit cards to make payments is exploited for fraudulent activities, resulting in the loss of millions of dollars every year around the world. In order to control and limit these risks and losses, a proper risk management framework is required to be established. Over the last five years, card issuers, acquirers, merchants and network operators have adopted and implemented a host of security measures, regulations and business strategies to lower the chances of fraud and credit losses. However, they are limited by several macroeconomic, regulatory and operational challenges. The management of risk associated with credit cards requires continuous efforts from every participant of the card payment industry. However, to do so, development of a best practice framework is of utmost importance. A well-developed framework facilitates a better understanding of risks and areas which require attention from the intended parties, and formulates strategies to address them.

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